Requirements Analysis

Description

What is the “big deal” about requirements? In contemplating this question, please consider the following additional issues along with some hints about the answers.

• Where do projects spend the most time? In understanding the problem, i.e., the requirements!
• How do many projects go wrong? When stakeholders (customer, users, developers) do not have a common view of project objectives!
• Finally, why are requirements so difficult? There simply are no provable right answers! We have to deal with both the technical and sociological aspects of the project.

Are you ready to go out and sell insurance after hearing this? Let’s pause a minute and get a grip! There are really two central or key skills that will help us get that grip:

• How to make decisions; and
• How to deal with stakeholders. In a nutshell, that is what this course is all about.

Yes, writing down the requirements coherently and understandably is a challenge. But the really big challenge is mastering the decision stream that leads up to those requirements! This course focuses on the skills required to identify, analyze, synthesize, and manage system requirements. It addresses the key requirements gathering and analysis tasks throughout the system life cycle. Participants learn about the requirements process, explore what constitutes good requirements, and understand how requirements are documented. A case study provides practice and feedback on key skills of the requirements process. Techniques and models are introduced that must be considered in defining systems that achieve high customer satisfaction within constraints. Interpersonal skills critical to interacting with stakeholders (e.g., customers and users) are emphasized coequally with technical issues.

Objectives

This course provides an understanding of the pervasive nature and importance of requirements decisions to system development. Attendees have the opportunity to develop related competencies. Specific learning objectives are:

• Create a shared vision of systems requirements and obtain buy-in from key stakeholders;
• Understand the role of requirements elicitation/changes within an evolutionary system environment;
• Apply criteria for good requirements specification;
• Interact productively with non-technical stakeholders including techniques for principled negotiation;
• Understand how tradeoffs assist in making the decisions that lead to the requirements;
• Learn how validation of requirements/design maintains project control and furnishes a foundation for system integration planning;
• Explore sources of requirements information and develop interviewing skills;
• Understand basic principles and an orderly approach to: scenario analysis, requirements allocation, requirements validation, and requirements planning.

Where and When

• This course is taught for two (2) days.
• Note:You must attend all 16 hours to complete the course.

Course Testimonials

When asked what they liked most about this course, past participants commented on the following:

• Course objective
• Analyze requirement
• Requirements verification
• Skill for successful interviewing
• Excellent content
• Very helpful examples
• Group exercises
• Class notes provided as soft copy prior to class
• Instructor was very knowledgeable

"The instructor is very knowledgeable and had a lot of experience to tell during the lecture. Good stuffs!"

Course Information

Instructor

• Michael Deutsch, University of New Hampshire

Cost

• Please visit the following web site for the cost of classes: How To Join
• (please note that one day of class = 8 hours)

How to Register

• Please register online or contact the JACMET office at 480/727-1519.